Kick plate and weather strip



J. R. ROBERTS KICK PLATE AND WEATHER STRIP 7 Original Filed March 23, 1931 Patented Aug. 18, 1936 KICK PLATE AND WEATHER STRIP John R. Roberts, Elgin, 111.

Refiled for abandoned application Serial No.

524,710, March 23, 1931.

This application January 4, 1936, Serial. No. 57,599

7 Claims. (01. 20-69) An object of my invention is to provide an efficient weather strip for swinging closures or members, such as doors, so constructed as greatly to prolong its life, or period of usefulness, especially as to the rubber or other flexible floor or sill-engaging member; Another object is to combine in one article or device a weather strip and kick plate with important advantages or results to both elements of the device, as will be set forth hereinafter.

. My invention consists in whatever is described by 'or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Y Figure l is a view partly in vertical section and in perspective of an embodiment of my invention applied to a door;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in vertical section showing the form of the kick plate before it is clamped upon the rubber or other flexible strip.v

.As I have already indicated, 1 illustrate my invention applied to or embodied in a swinging door, III, the bottom or lower part of which only is shown, and which swings above the usual sill, I I, 5 with enough space for clearance, but which space creates the necessity for weather stripping to prevent objectionable drafts as well as the sifting or blowing through of dust or dirt.

On the outer face of the door, I secure a plate, I2, of suitable sheet metal, such as brass, with a certain degree of spring or elasticity and of a width and height to cover the wood surface of the door at the bottom to serve the purpose of a kick plate. The lower portion of said plate, I2, is outwardly offset from the upper portion by a transverse outward bend, I3, of the plate so as to provide a space between it and the adjacent surface of the door for the reception of the weather strip, I4, above the bottom edge of the door, which portion above the bottom edge of the door is tightly clamped by the offset lower part of the plate, l2, which offset lower part is thus a clamping member, I5. The clamping effect is secured by screws, I6, above the bend I3, which enter the door and serve as the means for attaching the kick plate to the door. Thus, there are no holes for screws through the clamping margin, I5, and the interposed portion of the weather strip I4, but the clamping action of the lower part of the kick plate is alone depended on to secure the weather strip to the door. This is desirable for various reasons, one of which is that it enables more or less vertical adjustment of the weather strip so that the free or flap portion that projects from the bottom of the door to the sill, may be made closely or snugly to close the space betweenthe bottom of the door and the sill surface, and to compensate for wear and thus prolong the life of the strip, it may be readily shifted downward without the necessity of taking 5 account of screw holesthrough it, and it may be turned upside down so that the worn bottom edge may be placed uppermost and concealed and the unworn upper edge may become the acting or 10 sill-engaging portion of the strip.

Preferably to secure the most efiicient clamping action of the kick plate, the offset clamp, I5, by the bend, I3, is not parallel with the surface of thedoor, but from the bend, I3, inclines slightly inward and, of course, yields outward under the clamping action of the screws and exerts a powerful grip uponthe interposed weather strip.

Preferably the bottom edge of the kick plate is spaced above the plane of the bottom edge of -.the door so that the back and forth bending of 20 the free bottom portion of the Weatherstrip does not occur between two edges, one on one side and the other on the opposite side, that lie in the same plane, but bending in one direction is over the bottom corner of the door and in the opposite 25 direction at a higher point at the bottom edge of the kick plate. Thus breaking of the weather strip which sooner or later would be brought about by bending on opposite sides in the same plane, is avoided. Preferably the bottom outside 30 corner of the door is rounded as shown to avoid a sharp corner over which the weather strip bends to avoid wear at that point.

The weather strip or gasket or packing may be of any suitable flexible material, such as rub- 35 her or leather, but is preferably a two-ply rubber-covered fabric.

By utilizing the kick plate as the means of attaching or securing the weather strip to the door, it will be seen that kicks or blows on the kick 40 plate, whether from feet or other objects, will be cushioned by the presence of the interposed weather strip. This will diminish noise and it will diminish wear or injury to the kick plate, as well as to the wood door beneath the kick plate 5 which come from the usual construction where the kick plate lies flat against the door surface.

As shown in the drawing on the inner side of the door, a plate I'I, may be fastened by screws to serve as a kick plate, but, of course, I do not 50 limit myself to the employment of the additional plate on the inner side of the door. Nor do I limit myself to that embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing when having all of the details of construction which make for the most 55 1. A combined kick plate and weather strip comprising a metal plateofaan'area toserve as a kick plate and a weather strip interposed between the door and therlower portionofth'e kick plate, and means to cause such lower portionto clamp the weather strip tagainstthe door at least that portion of the plate above the clamp means being wholly a flat surface. V I

2. A combined kick plate and weather strip comprising a vmetal plate of :an area toserve as a kickeplate. and a' weather strip interposedrbetween the door and'thelower, portion oftheakick .plate, and meansto cause such lower portionto clamp the weather strip against. the .door: at least that portion of the plate above, theaclamp means lbeinglwhollyl afiat surface, therkick' plate having above the upper edge of .the Weatherstrip :an

outward bend.

3. A combinedkick plate and :weather strip comprising a metal plate of an vareato serve as a kick plate and. a :weather strip interposed2betweenrthe. door and the lower portion .ottheukick plate, and means to cause .such lowerqpor'tionto clamp the weather strip against the door atleast: that portion of the :plate aboventheaclamp, means being wholly a fiat surfacathe kick plate having above the upper edge .of thew-weather strip an outward bend, the portion of the kick plate. below the bend normally tending to incline towards the door.

being invertible to interchange its upper and ilower edges withrelation to'the door: sill.

4. A combined kick plate and weather strip comprising a metal plate of an area to serve as a kick plate and a weather strip interposed between the door and the lower portion of the kick plate, and means to cause such lower portion to 5 clamp the weather strip against the door at least that portion of the plate above the clamp means a being wholly a flat surface, said weather strip being adjustable vertically between the door and c the opposed portion of the kick plate and being reversible.

5. A combined kick plate and weather strip comprising .ametal plate of an area to serve as a kick plate and a weather strip interposed between the door and the lower portion of the kick ,plate, and means tocause such lower portion to clamp the weather strip against the door at least -.that.portion.of the plate above the clamp means being wholly a flat surface, the weather strip -36. 'A :combinedlkick plate and weather :strip ;comprising a metal plate of an area to'serveas a= kickplateand a. weather strip interposedbe- :tweenxthe door and the lowerportion of the kick- ;plate,.rand; means to cause such lower portion to ,clampthe weather strip againstthe door :at least .that portion of the plate above theclamp means ;.being wholly a flat'surface, the bottom edgeqof the door and the bottom edge of the kickrzplate" 1:being...spaced apart in different vertical planes.

7. Animprovement in weather strips the :combination of a to and fro moving closure member, a weather strip applied to the'marginal portion thereof ,andprojecting free for contact with a .a-surface :over which such member movesranda clamp plate on the outer-side of :said member :having itsedge towardsthe freeportionto'f the stripcin ,a different plane from the .edge oftsaid memberzbe'yond which the strip projects. 40

a J OHN.-R. ROBERTS. 

